2:59 p.m. The governor is still speaking, but reactions are already coming into our newsroom (two so far) This from a press release from the Last Store on Main Street Coalition, an organization which represents those against the sales of wine in grocery stores:

“With his Executive Budget today, Governor Cuomo has demonstrated once again that he recognizes the best way to lift the New York wine industry and create jobs is to invest in a consumer-based marketing program, which is exactly what he does with his $2 million Taste NY program. The more New Yorkers understand the high quality wine made right here at home, the more they drink it and the more they buy it.” More wine!

In another press release, Mike Durant, State Director of National Federation of Independent Business/New York (it seems the small-business-type organizations were right on this) had more mixed feelings. While pleased that the governor “maintains the theme of fiscal responsibility continues to right-size state government and closes the current budget gap while rejecting any new tax increases. Financially, this budget proposal is a continuation of existing efforts to rebuild New York’s fiscal health and encourage sustained economic growth.”

Durant was less pleased with the governor’s minimum wage plan–in fact, he was “deeply disappointed”, saying his group “strongly urge[s] the Governor and legislative leaders to focus on additional areas of regulatory reform and cost reduction for small business.”

This is just the first trickle of what’s sure to be a flood of reaction, but there you have it. Complete coverage of the address tomorrow morning on the 8 O’clock Hour.

All right, maybe not—while the budget address may lack some of the flair and showmanship of the State of the State address earlier this month, it’s to a great extent where the rubber hits the road, policy-wise – it’s the moment when Gov. Cuomo has to explain how he’s going to pay for the ambitious plans he described in that address, even as State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is saying New York’s not taking in quite as much as he’d anticipated.

Cuomo’s said the budget plan’s not likely to have a lot of surprises, and he’s expected to talk about how the state will fund plans to support upstate jobs programs and tourism, and how his administration plans to keep growth in state spending under two percent. Mandate relief is also on the agenda, or the rundown, if you will.

It’s hard to imagine how “More and Better” will work in North Country school districts where less ans less is being offered, and where the very viability of those districts is in jeopardy.
The longer school day idea would be great if there were more and more classes to take, but I suspect this “More and Better” idea is actually a thinly veiled baby sitting program, aimed at reducing crime in urban districts

I have to agree, for once, with Pete, Brian and Mike. It’s all grandstanding with smoke and mirrors. You want to do something with school days? Then listen to teachers and start school an hour later, dump many of the mandated time wasters. Let them teach rather than playing the surrogate parent/babysitter. And the mandate relief thing is just smoke and mirrors. He has no way to pay for the mandated services and no intention of ending them so the cost is passed on to the taxpayer and consumer, just like the min wage hike will be. Dumb.